GSKSJTI ties up with IIHT Varanasi to promote excellence in textile technology

The Government Sri Krishnarajendra Silver Jubilee Technological Institute (GSKSJTI), Bengaluru, has tied up with the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT), Varanasi, to promote excellence in education, research, innovation, and skill development in handloom and textile technology. IIHT, functioning under the Union Ministry of Textiles, runs diploma and B.Tech courses in Handloom and Textile Technology. 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed recently. The collaboration will lead to significant benefits for the academic community, industry stakeholders, and society at large, thereby contributing to national development and technological progress, the MoU said. 

The MoU aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration by integrating textiles with other disciplines, promoting joint research, innovation, and technology development that address industry and societal needs, and encouraging entrepreneurship, skill development, and sustainable technological solutions in the textile and allied engineering sectors. 

The development and conduct of joint certificate courses, value-added programmes, and interdisciplinary academic initiatives, along with curriculum enrichment and academic consultation for integrating textile and other engineering disciplines, as well as the collaborative development of teaching and learning resources, are also part of this MoU.

Facilitation of student internships, in-plant training, field visits, industrial exposure programmes, as well as the exchange of students for short-term academic assignments and project work, will be part of this arrangement. It will also include joint guidance for innovation-driven and industry-oriented student projects.

It will focus on the formation of interdisciplinary research groups in areas such as textile machinery, automation in handloom, sustainable technologies, smart textiles, and allied engineering applications. Skill enhancement programmes aligned with industry requirements, joint Entrepreneurship Development Programs (EDPs), and support for innovation, incubation, and startup initiatives are also part of the MoU.

Extension and outreach activities, such as joint outreach programs for handloom clusters and rural development initiatives, technology dissemination, and knowledge transfer to artisans, industry stakeholders, and the community, will be jointly conducted.